My rantings and occasionally informed thoughts

Category Archives: Animal Abuse

Once again, it’s the point in the semester when many of my students have realized that their grades are at stake, so I’m wading through essays and tests. The posts have been a bit thin lately, but I’ll get back to more frequent posting as soon as possible.

That being said, I do have to cry Shame! on my neighbors. They have four dogs that live in their yard. One of them, a largish white with reddish accents dog that I call Ginger, is a sweet creature. I’m the only one who spends any time with her. Her owners rarely let her in, even during the coldest part of winter, and never spend time with her, so I go to the fence and commune with Ginger now and then.

So why am I writing about this now? Those of you who live here in northwest Arkansas or who have been watching the weather news are aware of the heavy rain that we’ve had for days. The four dogs were left out in that rain with no shelter. I looked out my window to see Ginger looking ill while she was being drenched.

I generally believe that people ought to be allowed to do what they want with their property, but with animals, there have to be limits. I called animal control, only to find out that taking care of abused animals apparently isn’t part of their job description. I imagine that law enforcement would do something if I were to rescue the dogs, though.

One version of a just world would have the animals in our lives gather to judge us after we die. In such a reality, my neighbors would find themselves in cast into outer darkness. Except, of course, that Ginger is such a sweetie that she might just forgive them.